APPLICATION for Graduate Studies

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(Graduate student publications - go to )

STUDENT TRAINING - see current student profiles

Current PhD students in the laboratory:

1. Sonya Bierbower 2006-present - post quals

2. Wen Hui Wu Fall 2008 - present -pre quals

Current MS student in the laboratory:

1. Captain Junyoung Lee Fall 2007-present

PhD degrees awarded from research done in my laboratory:

1. Hao Li 1997-2001

(i) Neuromodulator effects on the function of primary sensory neurons.

(ii). Cave crayfish behavior.

(iii). Development of NMJs in Drosophila.

2. Andy Johnstone Fall 2002 - Fall 2006

Physiological and anatomical assessment of synapses at the crayfish neuromuscular junction

3. Sameera Dasari Spring 2003 - Fall 2006
Influence of the serotonergic system on physiology, development, and behavior of Drosophila melanogaster.

4. Mohati Desai Spring 2005-2008 (defended in 2008, graduated in 2009).
The influence of Ca2+ regulation in synaptic facilitation of motor nerve terminals in crayfish and Drosophila as well as in the physiological regulation of larval Drosophila heart.

MS degrees awarded from research done in my laboratory:

1. Misty Crider 1996-1998

Short term facilitation and the neuromodulation of synaptic transmission at the crayfish opener neuromuscular junction

2. Ping He 1997- 1998

Role of a-SNAP in promoting efficient neurotransmission at the crayfish neuromuscular junction

3. Johann Sohn 1998-1999

The anatomical and physiological characterization of muscles in the dorsal surface of the crayfish abdomen

4. Joe Kramer 1998-1999 (advisor- Dr. Bonner)

Thesis project done in my lab on "Neural control of muscle phenotype in the crayfish"

5. Joe Shearer Fall 1999-2001 (MS student: plan B - MS)

Synaptic differentiation of motor neurons in crayfish.

6. Bin Xing 2001-2003

• (i) Ball, R., Xing, B., Bonner, P., Shearer, J. and Cooper, R.L. (2003) Long-term maintenance of neuromuscular junction activity in cultured Drosophila larvae. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 134:247-255. [PDF].
• (ii) Xing, B. and Cooper, R.L. (2002) The effects of reduced presynaptic calcium entry on development of motor nerve terminals in Drosophila. Abst Soc. Neurosci.28. (Society meeting Nov. 2002).

7. Amanda Ashleigh Long 2003-2004

Synaptic plasticity at the Drosophila NMJ

Graduate students (rotating or some of their work done in my lab):

1. Bruce Griffis 1997-present (PhD student, Advisor Dr. Bonner) Regulation of muscle phenotype.

2. Emily Neiman Spring-Summer 1999, (PhD BEACON rotation graduate student).

3. Bryan Spohn Spring 1997, (BEACON rotation graduate student).

4. Antony Kariuki Fall 2007- MCB student

1. Crider, M.E. and Cooper, R.L. (1999) The importance of the stimulation paradigm in determining facilitation and effects of neuromodulation. Brain Research 842: 324-331 [Abstract] [FullText.pdf]

2. He, P., Southard, R.C., Whiteheart, S.W. and Cooper, R.L. (1999) Role of alpha-SNAP in promoting efficient neurotransmission at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Journal of Neurophysiology 82:3406-3416 [Abstract] [FullText.pdf]

3. Crider, M.E. and Cooper, R.L. (2000) Differentially facilitation of high- and low-output nerveterminals from a single motor neuron. Journal of Applied Physiology 88: 987-996 [Abstract] [FullText.pdf]

4. LaFramboise, W., Griffis, B., Bonner, P., Warren, W., Scalise, D., Guthrie, R.D., and Cooper, R.L. (2000). Muscle type-specific myosin isoforms in crustacean muscles. Journal of Experimental Zoology 286: 36-48 [Abstract] [FullText.pdf]

5. Sohn, J., Mykles, D.L., and Cooper, R.L. (2000). The anatomical, physiological and biochemical characterization of muscles associated with the articulating membrane in the dorsal surface of the crayfish abdomen. Journal of Experimental Zoology 287:353-377. [FullText.pdf]
(Sohn was my MS student, Dr. Mykles is a collaborator at Colorado State Univ.).

6. Southard, R.C., Haggard, J., Crider, M.E., Whiteheart, S.W. and Cooper, R.L. (2000) Influence of serotonin on the kinetics of vesicular release. Brain Research 871:16-28. [FullText.pdf]
(Southard and Haggard were undergraduates in my laboratory; Whiteheart is my collaborator in the Dept. of Biochemistry at UK., Crider-Thesis project done in my laboratory at UK).

7. Li, H., Listerman, L., Doshi, D., and Cooper, R.L. (2000) Use of heart rate to measure intrinsic state of blind cave crayfish during social interactions. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A.127:55-70. [FullText.pdf]
(Listerman and Deskins were undergraduates in my laboratory at UK).

8. Griffis, B., Bonner, P. and Cooper, R.L. (2000) Sensitivity of transformed (phasic to tonic) motor neurons to the neuromodulator 5-HT. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 127: 495-504. FullText.pdf] (See Erratum 128:377-378, 2001 for missing figure) [FullText.pdf] (Griffis, B.- is a PhD student in Dr. Bonner's lab. The three of us decided to do this as a collaborative project).

9. Griffis, B., Moffett, S. and Cooper, R.L. (2001) Muscle phenotype remains unaltered after limb autotomy and unloading. Journal of Experimental Zoology 289:10-22. [FullText.pdf]

10. Li, H., Harrison, D., Jones, G., Jones, D., and Cooper, R.L. (2001) Alterations in development, behavior, and physiology in Drosophila larva that have reduced ecdysone production. Journal of Neurophysiology 85:98-104. [FullText.pdf] (Li is my PhD student).

11. Cooper, R.L., Li, H., Long, L.Y., Cole, J., and Hopper, H.L. (2001) Anatomical comparisons of neural systems in sighted epigean & troglobitic crayfish species. Journal of Crustacean Biology 21:360-374. (Li is my PhD student, Long (Li's wife) helped out in axon counting, Cole and Hopper helped with assessing the cave crayfish and conducting experiments within the cave environment).

12. Li, H. and Cooper, R.L. (2002) The effect of ambient light on blind cave crayfish: Social interactions. Journal of Crustacean Biology 22:449-458 (Li is my PhD student).

13. Li, H. , Peng, X., and Cooper, R.L. (2002) Development of Drosophila larval neuromuscular junctions: Maintaining synaptic strength. Neuroscience 115:505-513 [PDF]

14. Cooper, R.L., Ward, E., Braxton, R., Li, H., and Warren, W.M. (2003) The effects of serotonin and ecdysone on primary sensory neurons in crayfish. Microscopy Research and Technique 60: 336-345. [PDF] (Ward, Braxton, and Warren were undergraduates and Li was a graduate student in my laboratory).

15. Ball, R., Xing, B., Bonner, P., Shearer, J. and Cooper, R.L. (2003) Long-term maintenance of neuromuscular junction activity in cultured Drosophila larvae. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 134:247-255. [PDF]. (Ryan Ball was an undergraduate in my laboratory at UK).

16. Cooper, R.L., Donmezer, A., and Shearer, J. (2003) Intrinsic differences in sensitivity to 5-HT between high- and low-output terminals innervating the same target. Neuroscience Research 45:163-172. [PDF] (Ahmet Donmezer was an undergraduate in my laboratory at UK. Joe Shearer was a MS student in my laboratory).

17. Johnstone, A., Brailoiu, E, Dun, N.J., and Cooper, R.L. (2004) Alteration in synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junctions in crayfish, Drosophila and frog by exogenous application of the inositol polyphosphate IP6. (In Review).

18. Dasari, S. and Cooper, R.L. (2004) Modulation of sensory to motor circuits by serotonin, octopamine, and dopamine in semi-intact Drosophila larva. Neuroscience Research 48:221-227 [PDF]. (Sameera Dasari is a graduate student).

19. Sparks, G.M., Dasari, S. and Cooper, R.L. (2004) Presynaptic actions of MDMA (Ecstasy) at glutamatergic synapses. Neuroscience Research 48: 431-438 [PDF]

20. Pagé, M.-P. and Cooper, R.L. (2004) Novelty stress and reproductive state alters responsiveness to sensory stimuli and 5-HT neuromodulation. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 139:149-158 [PDF].

21. Dasari, S. and Cooper, R.L. (2004) Monitoring heart rate in Drosophila larvae by various approaches. Drosophila Information Service 87:91-96. [PDF]

22. Xing, B., Long, A.A., Harrison, D.A. and Cooper, R.L. (2005) Developmental consequences of NMJs with reduced presynaptic calcium channel function Synapse 57:132-147. [PDF]

23. Logsdon, S., Johnstone, A.F.M., Viele, K. and Cooper, R.L. (2005) The regulation of synaptic vesicles pools within motor nerve terminals during short-term facilitation and neuromodulation. J. of Applied Physiology 100:662-671. [PDF]

24. Dasari, S. and Cooper, R.L. (2006) Direct influence of serotonin on the larval heart of Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 176: 349–357. [PDF]

25. Johnstone, A.F.M. and Cooper, R.L. (2006) Direct innervation of the Drosophila melanogaster larval heart. Brain research 1083: 159-163.[ PDF]

26. Viele, K., Lancaster, M., and Cooper, R.L. (2006) The self-modeling structure of evoked post-synaptic potentials. SYNAPSE 60:32-44. [PDF]

27. Lancaster, M., Viele, K., Johnstone, A.F.M., and Cooper, R.L. (2007) Automated classification of evoked quantal events. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 159: 325-336. [PDF]

28. Pagé, M.-P., Hailes, W., and Cooper, R.L. (2007) Modification of the tail flip escape response in crayfish by neuromodulation and behavioral state with and without descending CNS input. International Journal of Zoological Research 3:132-144. [PDF]

29. Dasari, S., Viele, K., Turner, A.C. and Cooper R.L. (2007) Influence of p-CPA and MDMA on physiology, development and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster European Journal of Neuroscience 26:424-438. [PDF].

30. Johnstone, A.F.M., Kellie, S and Cooper, R.L. (2008) Presynaptic depression in phasic motor nerve terminals and influence of 5-HT on docked vesicles. The Open Neuroscience Journal 2: 16-23. [PDF] (Scott Kellie was an undergraduate).

31. Desai-Shah, M., Viele, K., Sparks, G., Nadolski, J., Hayden, B., Srinivasan, V.K., and Cooper, R.L. (2008). Assessment of synaptic function during short-term facilitation in motor nerve terminals in the crayfish. The Open Neuroscience Journal 2: 24-35. [PDF]

32. Desai-Shah, M. and Cooper, R.L. (2009) Different mechanisms of Ca2+ regulation that influence synaptic transmission: Comparison between crayfish and Drosophila NMJs. SYNAPSE 63:1100-1121 [PDF].

33. Dasari, S., Wang, L., Harrison, D.A. and Cooper R.L. (2009) Reduced and misexpression of 5-HT2 receptors alters development, behavior and CNS activity in Drosophila melanogaster International Journal of Zoological Research 5(3):1-14 [PDF]

34. Desai-Shah, M. and Cooper, R.L. (2009) The influence of the NCX, PMCA and SERCA on short-term facilitation and maintenance of transmission in motor nerve terminals in crayfish. (In Revision).

35. Desai-Shah, M., Papoy, A.R., Ward, M., and Cooper, R.L. (2009) Roles of the SERCA, PMCA and NCX in calcium regulation in the Drosophila larval heart. (In review).

36. Lee, J.-Y., Bhatt, D., Bhatt, D., Chung, W.-Y., and Cooper, R.L. (2009) Furthering pharmacological and physiological assessment of the glutamatergic receptors at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C 150: 546–557[pdf]).

37. Bierbower, S.M. and Cooper, R.L. (2009) Measures of heart and ventilatory rates in freely moving crayfish.Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) 32: http://www.jove.com/index/details.stp?id=1594 , doi: 10.3791/1594. New on line Journal with strong peer review (see editoral board http://www.jove.com/index/Editorial%20Board.stp)